ISLAMABAD: A number of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) members and former ministers on Sunday defended Prime Minister Imran Khan’s action of dissolving the National Assembly and claimed that the ruling of the deputy speaker could not be challenged in any court of the country.

Talking to reporters outside the Supreme Court, former information minister Fawad Chaudhry said the parliament was a separate institution and the judiciary had a separate standing and, therefore, the deputy speaker’s decision could not be challenged in any court of the country.

“Why are you running from elections? Have political parties ever run from elections?” Mr Chaudhry asked while criticising the opposition parties’ reaction to the prime minister’s dissolution of the National Assembly.

Read: Imran Khan’s latest move is a further demonstration of his contempt for parliament and the democratic process

He taunted the opposition by stating that it was the PTI which had lost the government “but look at their (the opposition leaders’) drawn faces.” He said he was seeing it for the first time that the government was celebrating its ouster and the opposition was shedding tears.

Fawad claims deputy speaker’s ruling cannot be challenged in any court

Mr Chaudhry said that the president had dissolved the National Assembly on the prime minister’s advice and elections would now be held within 90 days.

He said that within two to three days, Mr Khan would write a letter to Shehbaz Sharif to ask him to suggest names for the caretaker government to hold new elections.

He also objected to the hearing of the Supreme Court on Sunday, saying that “courts shouldn’t be set up on Sunday”. He said political decisions shouldn’t be taken in court rooms.

“Political decisions are made by the people and not by courts. People have the right to make these decisions,” he said.

Mr Chaudhry ruled out the possibility of imposition of martial law in the country, asserting that “the army has nothing to do with political developments in the country”.

According to the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan, Mr Chaudhry said under Article 69, the Supreme Court did not have the jurisdiction to give a judgment on the ruling of the parliament.

He said the PTI’s lawyers and legal team would reach the Supreme Court on Monday to put forward their point of view on the issue.

He said the PTI was challenging the opposition to face it in the elections.

Meanwhile, speaking at a separate news conference, former interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said it was his desire that the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa might also be dissolved along with the National Assembly.

Mr Ahmed said Mr Khan would remain the prime minister for the next 15 days and the general elections would be held within 90 days.

He expressed the hope that Mr Khan would win the next general elections with a two-thirds majority.

He said he had advised the prime minister to impose emergency, but Mr Khan did not approve it. He said he had already vacated his office and was shifting to the old hostel.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2022